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Post by Flutter (Frosty) on Dec 8, 2016 14:17:33 GMT -5
((until something happens, of course, but that's totally up to you, Lisa. XD))
She rose from her bed, stretching in a very delicate, princess-like manner. Of course, that's how she pictured it. In reality, Princess Pechavi of Hathor likely looked like something that had crawled out of a sewer drain- but the servants didn't dare say it. This was to be her birthday party- pardon- Birthday Party- and was the second biggest event of the year. The first was her parent's anniversary. The third would be the Annual Games, which she would be hosting in a few short months. She scrambled out of bed, nearly kicking a servant in the face. "Oh, my. I'm so sorry Meryt! I didn't see you there." She apologized profusely, even though the servants, at this point, artfully dodged their perfect princess's hooves with shocking accuracy by now.
"No worries, Princess. If you failed to try to kick me in the face, I'd actually have to call the doctor because there must be something wrong with you." She grinned, gathering the still-clean bedsheets to be cleaned again. Nothing but the best for the only child of their beautiful King and Queen, she thought happily to herself. "My Princess, this might be too bold but... perhaps the royal pet shouldn't be included in today's festivities?" She was hopeful. The desert lop-eared hare was, at best, a menace. At worst, a single hop could set the entire market ablaze. Lizzie seemed to double as a pet and a reason to never, ever go out into the desert- there were more of them. And they were bigger than the pony-sized public safety hazard that was currently sleeping- almost peacefully- in the corner of the room.
Pechavi pondered this, for a moment. "Nah. She's coming with me." As she spoke, the terrorist lagomorph stretched out her terrifying claws and let out a yawn that revealed all twenty-eight of her too-large teeth. She was just a bunny, after all.
Meanwhile, down the hall and slightly to the right, the much-revered Queen of Hathor was pacing the hallway. "My heart, I have an awful feeling that she's going to bring the rabbit." She remembered last year, when someone set a firecracker off and Lizzie jumped over- and destroyed- seventeen market stalls.
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Mini
Love God
The Itherian Herds. Coming soon to take over you.
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Post by Mini on Dec 8, 2016 15:13:01 GMT -5
The King of Hathor paced back and forth in front of the Banquet Hall. Long decorated tables that could seat hundreds were arranged in the middle of the room, aside from a large clearing at one end. It was for the dance floor, and Xo shuddered thinking about his little girl dancing with...with...COLTS. She was only turning 12, after all. Ange had insisted, however, and Xo found it simply impossible to tell his wife no. After all, it was she who had made Hathor a decent place to live, and she who had rescued him from his bitter loneliness. That was also the reason he was in charge of the Banquet Hall preparations. However, Ange was much better at these things. He hoped pink went with chartreuse. He didn't know what color it actually was, but it sounded fancy. He'd ordered fifteen pinatas, as well. Where were they? Did Chavi even like pinatas? His stomach churned. He used to know his daughter so well, as he'd doted on her since the day she was born. Now she seemed more like a stranger as each day passed.
"Your majesty." An attendant broke Xo free from his thoughts. "There's been a mishap regarding the centerpieces. They've delivered Enchantimals instead. The short, fat little elephante dropped an armload of magical stuffed animals on one of the tables. Each of their mouths was duct-taped shut. The spell cast on the stuffed animals only lasted for a little while, and the only things they ever said were "I love you" and "BUY ME!"
Xo flicked his ears back in irritation, and the attendant drew back sharply. Xo was not the type to strike a servant and was good natured to a fault, so any instance of disapproval caused his servants great alarm. "No, this is what I ordered. Chavi loves Enchantimals, he thought. She has ever since she was a young filly. But doubt was starting to creep into his heart and he wondered if there was any way he would be able to pull this off. What in the world was Ange thinking. He looked down at the table cloth, a terrible, puke worthy shade of green. Now that was definitely NOT what he ordered. "These linens though, they are awful. What horrid color is this?"
"Chartreuse, m'lord. It is what you ordered, is it not?"
No, there was no way this could be happening. "Ah, yes, very good," Xo said miserably. He was single-handedly going to ruin Chavi's party. "Fetch the Queen, please. I think she might be the only one who can help now." The attendant nodded and scuttled off. Xo sat down at the table and banged his head off the chartreuse tablecloth. Of all days for him to screw things up, it had to be today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Far off in the distant sea, an old black stallion prepared to make the journey in land to see his only great granddaughter turn the ripe old age of 12. He hadn't exactly been invited, but they weren't going to stop him from seeing his Pechavi. And maybe visiting a few taverns, as was his custom in the kingdom of Hathor. Running up a huge tab and handing the bill to his grandson and wife was his other custom - and perhaps why he hadn't gotten an invitation to the festivities.
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Post by Flutter (Frosty) on Dec 8, 2016 15:44:18 GMT -5
"I think your husband fucked up." Nyct was lounging on a chaise lounge- not that she'd been there a moment before, but she certainly was now. "And you let her invite boys? Really?"
"Yes. Why, is there any reason I shouldn't trust her? And wait, how did Xo mess up?" Her ears flicked back, almost pinned to her head. "First, the mess up." She trusted her daughter explicitly, and she was only just turning twelve. The colts of Hathor had always been invited to her birthday.
"This... is something you have to see. It's bad. It's so bad, Ange. Like... You remember when Dad tried making Echo a new sheath and not only was it for a broadsword, it was metal?" She bit her lip- the memory they shared of that moment flicked through both of their minds. Echo was such a lightweight katana, and enchanted to defend, not offend that it didn't need half the crap their father forged for it. "This is worse than that. Way worse." She started to cackle a little. "Actually. I'm gonna tell you. The linens are a radioactive vomit green."
Ange let her shoulders fall. She'd been there for the color order. "So that's chartreuse." The linens could be enchanted, temporarily, to be another color. She motioned for her sister to follow her down the hall, and her less-elegant half stood, letting her mane drape her shoulders. "You haven't stopped cackling, though." It worried her endlessly when she did that. Though their minds were still linked, she couldn't hear her thoughts over the laughter that was all too real.
"Ange, do you remember what we did when we were twelve? WHO we did?" She watched as Ange's pretty face fell into a look of abject terror. She muffled her own ears for the expletive that she felt blossoming in their mind link as she shared a rather steamy memory of their twelfth birthday. Even Mem, her daughter, would have told her to tone it down a little.
"OH, FUCK."
Pechavi and Lizzie paraded down the hall, blissfully ignorant of the potential catastrophe that was bubbling up in two areas of the castle and the one beside her. "Lizzie, this is going to be the best birthday ever." Her Familiar snorted, almost choking. "Hopefully. I can't promise I won't get in trouble, but I'll try to behave. For you." Chavi was the only thing in the world that mattered to the giant golden bunny, and she meant it when she said she'd try her best. She'd be fine as long as nothing too spooky happened.
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Mini
Love God
The Itherian Herds. Coming soon to take over you.
Posts: 1,780
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Post by Mini on Dec 8, 2016 16:12:50 GMT -5
Kishou made good time for being as old as he was. Despite the fact he was ancient - proven by the fact his great-granddaughter was turning 12, he still had the body of a strapping young stallion. His mind was old though, and he'd seen too many things that left him empty. Now he just wandered from place to place, living without a purpose and fighting the emptiness with booze. It was the mask that kept him this way, alive far past his desire to live. His children were gone, his companions were gone, and his grandson felt he was a bad influence for his daughter. Kishou agreed and had stayed away for quite some time, but he missed them. He secretly hoped Ance would be there as well. He hadn't seen her in forever either.
The attendant that Xo sent skidded around the corner. "Your majesty, your husband requires you in the Banquet Hall," he huffed, his trunk rolling and unrolling with each pant. He eyed Nyct warily. Queen Ange was gentle and sweet, but her sister...well, he'd be wise to stay invisible to her. "Please come with me, Your Highnesses."
Xo took a deep breath and busied himself putting up the Enchantimal centerpieces. He removed the tape across a stuffed penguin's beak. "I LOVE YOU! Take me home! We'll play for hours! Buy me!" "There must be a spell to make these things say something else," he growled. When he'd finished, he took a step back to take in the whole picture. Pink and chartreuse table cloths lined the tables, the center of them a different array of Enchantimals. Streamers hung from the ceiling and he'd rigged the Princess seat to dump confetti during the birthday song. The princess seat was a silver, high-backed chair with large silver letters spelling "Princess" sticking out of the top. He didn't understand why she couldn't have just had a tea party. Tea parties were so much easier than birthday parties. The more decorations that came in, the more it clashed. He seriously hoped Ange could fix this.
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Post by Flutter (Frosty) on Dec 8, 2016 16:34:07 GMT -5
Ange took in a deep breath. The only thing that could be worse right now would be- yup. Enchantimals. She'd requested that they sing the birthday song of Hathor, but either they didn't get the message at Stuffings or couldn't charm them to do it. A stuffed dragon wrapped its fluffy body along her leg, squeezing her tight. She knew that if it hadn't been taped shut, it would be screaming at her in a too-high voice. "They're more insistent than I remember." Her eyes widened at the fact that the ballroom that had been so elegant the night before- simple white marble pillars lined with gold that must have been standing there for centuries before she and even Xo had arrived- was now what she assumed was the inside of Memory's head.
"Oh wow, it's actually gotten worse!" Nyct nearly doubled over in laughter, and it got heartier and heartier as she looked around. "This cannot possibly look any worse." She ignored the death glare her sister shot her. Because she knew, in the pit of her coal-black pit of a heart, that this was absolutely going to get worse. The last party had barely gone off without a hitch, and it was so incredibly dull that half the foals had fallen asleep and Ance almost didn't show up at all, save for the rest of the party. But her perfect chaos was different than this. At least she had taste. She sighed. "I think Ance brought Chupe."
"For the love of light, I really hope she did. I think she's still calming Xena down after last night's meltdown, so if you can go get her..." The little heathen of a filly had brought a much-loved toy to the castle. When a servant stepped on it, all hell broke loose. Actual hell, as the filly revealed a side of herself usually reserved for burglars and murderers. She knew Ance was technically a demon- she'd just never seen her oldest friend reveal that side. Judging on how Xena had looked last night, just being half demon, she probably didn't want to see Ance in her full glory. "Just don't make Xena mad. Please."
"Sister mine, there are certain things even I won't do."
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Mini
Love God
The Itherian Herds. Coming soon to take over you.
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Post by Mini on Dec 8, 2016 17:03:42 GMT -5
Xo twitched his lips as Nyct was beside herself with laughter. At least his wife's sister...other half...whatever they were, he didn't quite understand it, was in a good mood. He hoped Chupe was in a good mood too. Fortunately, it seemed to like Chavi, or maybe it felt some evil kinship with that demon rabbit of Chavi's, Lizzy. He sincerely hoped she left Lizzy locked up this year. He'd fully reimbursed the vendors who'd had their carts destroyed last year, though it didn't rival the bill that Kishou and Ance racked up. And although he loved his young aunt, he didn't like the idea of having to babysit her. Not when her favorite game was reenacting the battle for Meridell, and he always had to be Lord Darigan. "At least we didn't invite Kishou this year," he said under his breath to Ance.
Kishou strolled up the main street of Hathor, taking in all the delicious smells and familiar sights. He bought himself grilled fish on a stick and munched happily as he perused the merchandise available in carts and shops. He still had to get Chavi a birthday present, and he should probably get something for Xena as well. He hadn't seen his daughter since the last time he saw Ance. He wondered if she was mad at him for leaving. He could never tell what that filly was thinking, other than that she wanted to destroy everything, all the time. Something familiar caught his eye, and he smiled as he stopped to take a break at Dirty Joe's, his favorite desert haunt. "Oy Joe, ye got anythin fer a seafarer tryin teh get used teh the land legs?"
Joe smiled, Kishou being in town meant a huge payout for him. He poured Kishou a glass of whiskey. "Welcome back to Hathor, Kishou. Come for the Princess' birthday, I assume?" Joe cleaned a glass as he talked to Kishou. It was early still, in fact, he'd just opened, and Kishou was the only customer. He hoped Kishou wouldn't get too wasted before heading off to the princess' party. It was just like him to make a scene.
"Right ye are," Kishou kicked back the whiskey in one gulp. "Ye mind refillin that, its been a long swim, ifn ye know what I mean." Joe refilled his glass and Kishou took to sipping. He wasn't going to repeat last year. He'd gotten so drunk he'd tripped over Lizzy and she'd set 15 vendor carts on fire trying to get away from him. No siree, this year would be different. He smiled as his worries started to lift. Of course Xo and Ange would be happy to see him, and Xena wouldn't try to kill him...hopefully. And maybe he and Ance could come out and afterparty a little. What else were two immortals to do?
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Post by Flutter (Frosty) on Dec 8, 2016 18:05:27 GMT -5
Ance stepped into the ballroom of her own accord. To say that the colors were 'painful' would have been an understatement. It hadn't looked this bad when she had chased her tiny terrorist through it this morning. "Maker, what have you done." It wasn't a question, but a statement. She walked out, in wonder, staring at the catastrophe.
"Pechavi can't see this. Ever. And she can't know it happened." Ever. She looked at Nyct, who was still doubled over with laughter. "I liked you better when you were planning the heat death of the universe, not cackling over shitty party decorations. Chupe!"
And so It says- this is not Russia. Where has Its mistress summoned It to this time? The demonic, genderless bird appeared in a puff of grey-purple smoke, apparently in the middle of a joke. It shed its parka, flicking a claw to get it off the rest of the way. Its Maker. It looks like you asked Memory to decorate for one of her special bachelorette parties, but to do it while she was wearing glasses for the colorblind. It cautiously looked up at the confetti drop. Holy shit.
"Is there any way you can fix this in about... twenty seconds?" Nyct asked hopefully. "I hear people running in fear down the hallway. She's brought the bunny."
Ange worried her lip. "Yes, we messed up. Look, please help. And Mem had nothing to do with this." And not just because she wasn't invited, but Mem would probably have used blood magic.
((god this sucks SO BAD))
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Mini
Love God
The Itherian Herds. Coming soon to take over you.
Posts: 1,780
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Post by Mini on Dec 8, 2016 19:51:08 GMT -5
"Xena, no, you cannot set the curtains on fire," Lilly, Xena's older half-sister, chased her with a fire extinguisher. She was a lavender-pelted, silver-maned, faerie peophin; the only other living child of Kishou. She chose to live with her half-sister's mother after her dad split, it wasn't as if she grew up with him either. In the time she'd known him, he'd summed up to be nothing more than a great disappointment with some cool magic tricks. The greatest blessing she'd gained from her father was her step-mother (was she even considered that at this point?), and step-sibling Kin. His wife Liin was a good friend, and they'd taken her in as family from the minute her dad knocked Ance up. Even Chupe, the mischievous demon-creature Ance kept as a pet, was more family to her than her father ever had been. He was the farthest thing from her mind as she chased Xena down the hallway. "Xena, can you destroy the Palace tomorrow?? Just let Chavi have her birthday and then you can burn whatever you want..."
Xoaeir bit his lip as they asked Chupe for help. Chupe was temperamental, and even if it did their bidding now they may wake up to find the castle in ruins. Though figuring out whether it was Chupe, Lizzy, Xena or the three of them would be a hearty task. "Thank god Kishou isn't here." He whispered to Ange so he would not be overheard. "This is enough of a disaster. Do you know where the presents are? The table is still empty. Who was in charge of presents?" He frowned. It wasn't as if his Princess needed anything - she had far too much, as any child of royalty would. He relished the thought of her face lighting up as she opened her present from him - a life-size, pink Enchantimal cheetah. This one they'd enchanted to say "I love you, princess," but they claimed that was the best they could do. Slightly disappointing, but he was sure she would still love it.
After an hour and a half at Dirty Joe's, Kishou was feeling refreshed and delightfully numb. It was time to go shopping, and he had a lot of apology presents to buy. He'd let slip to Joe that he was a wee bit frightened of his kid after four or five rounds, and Joe asked him which one he meant. He may have felt ashamed if he hadn't already been inebriated, but he had completely forgotten about his oldest living child, Lilly. He hadn't raised her, and had never been much of a father to her. While most assumed he was drinking to forget his lost love, he drank to numb the guilt as well. He hadn't been there for any of his children. He'd wanted to be, but he'd never known how. Maybe the only thing he was good at was failing, after all. But right now he was feeling too good for any of that, and he drunkenly overpaid for all of his parcels. Satisfied with his purchases, he decided to sober up a little before heading to the party. He was dumb sure, but occasionally even he learned his lesson. The burn scar on his tail was a good reminder too, heaven forbid he end up looking like his old patrol mate Caere. He stood on a foot bridge overlooking a busy section of town and felt though he had no permanent home but the entire ocean, Hathor felt quite familiar and comfortable. It wasn't such a bad place to be since Xo and Ange had come into power.
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Post by Flutter (Frosty) on Dec 8, 2016 20:29:13 GMT -5
"Lilly, I get to play here once, twice a year. Or six." She didn't really bother counting, mostly because she was little and things like that didn't matter to her. "But Chavi will get mad if I ruin her birthday party and then I can't come play." She sank a little. If she couldn't play anymore, she would be super duper sad and the portal from Neopia to Ithere would also be sad and lonely because it wouldn't be used anymore.
Also, she couldn't play trans-dimensional war games with Pechavi and the guards. Her nephew, who was far older than she was, figured it was good war practice. She knew she was lucky and she shouldn't test her luck.
Chupe's eyes narrowed (as much as they could narrow, as nobody was quite certain if it even blinked) as it changed the decorations into something far more suitable for a twelve-year-old. It is not impressed with anything here. Seriously, which of you thought these colors went together?
"That would be my husband and I. It's... we're not good with color picking, OK? Why do they need so many names? Why can't they just say 'radioactive vomit green' and not make it sound like it might actually be a pretty color?" She watched as the decorations became more refined, elegant, and better-suited. She supposed Chupe probably had more experience with birthday parties across all dimensions and realms, but she inwardly felt a pain as to what the price for this particular bit of magic would be. There always was one.
"Next time... maybe hire a decorator or a party planner. Ange, I love you, but this..." She motioned one petite hoof towards the now pink-and-silvery blue decorations, which would delight almost everyone. The Enchantimals were now crawling from a rambunctious pile- revealing the presents that were hidden beneath them- as Chupe threatened them all with complete and utter incineration.
"IT'S ALL SO PRETTY!" the delightful little Princess stepped into the room, her hooves clicking and sending magical bits of glitter through the air as she walked. She squealed with delight, and the giant desert hare sneezed as glitter went up her nose. She didn't say anything because she didn't want to upset her mistress, but she really fucking hated glitter. "Thank you, Mommy and Daddy, it's exactly what I imagined it to be!"
Ange sent a silent thank-you to Chupe, who nodded, knowing what she was thinking, as it always did. "I still feel like there's... something." It was all coming together a little too smoothly. She felt uncomfortable.
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Mini
Love God
The Itherian Herds. Coming soon to take over you.
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Post by Mini on Dec 9, 2016 15:09:08 GMT -5
Xo sighed with relief as Chupe transformed the Monty Python creditesque ballroom into a beautiful reception fit for a princess. He was taken aback by Chavi's response as he hadn't recognized her taste for elegance, but was thrilled she liked it. He was so caught up in the moment he didn't think twice about what Chupe might do to claim payment for this good deed. "You're welcome, darling, but you ought to thank Ance and Chupe as well...they were lifesavers, to say the least." Now that the ballroom was put together, Xo excused himself to take care of some royal duties - even when it was his daughter's birthday, it seemed like the work never ended. It was hard to keep his mind on his work as Chavi floated in and out of his thoughts. How had it been twelve years already? Did she know the happiness she brought him, or how much he loved her? He took a break to look out the office window and saw something that made his heart skip a beat. There's no way he'd just seen who he'd thought he'd seen. Surely he was far off in the distant sea, probably drunk on some island making an ass of himself. No, it had been the light playing tricks on his eyes, he decided, and busied himself with his work. He wanted it done so he could enjoy Chavi's entire party without it looming over his head. Ugh, paperwork was so boring.
((I'll stop switching colors around here eventually)) Lilly nodded, her curly silver mane bouncing at her shoulders. "That's right, and we like to come play here, right Xena? Ugh, how much longer would it be until the party so she would be relieved of babysitting duty? She loved her baby sister more than anyone, but saying Xena was a handful didn't even come close. She was exhausted - she'd been chasing her around the palace for two hours already. "Ugh, Ance, where are you already," she whined under her breath. "I can't deal with your demon spawn ALL day,". She considered calling Chupe, but the two of them had a sort of understanding. She wouldn't bother it for the most part, and it left her alone, and she'd figured out if you paid it up front, it probably wouldn't play a trick on you later. Probably. She secretly thought it liked her more than the others, but that didn't make her trust it. Out of the two of them, she'd take Xena. "Xena, we better get down to the party. I think it's going to start soon."
It was nearly time for the party and now that Kishou had stopped stumbling, he made his way to the palace bogged down by his purchases. He'd gone a little over board and had spent all his money on the gifts. He'd bought Chavi a beautiful dress that was both elegant and appropriate with shoes to match, and he'd gotten Xena a minature cannon. He knew she'd be disappointed when she realized it didn't actually function, but he didn't dare face Ance's wrath if it did. He was pretty sure they'd like their gifts, but Lilly - he was sure she'd hate anything he'd give her, no matter what it was. He'd picked out a seashell necklace with magical properties from Madam Zefertiah, but like many enchanted items it was hard to tell what exactly it did. All he knew was it came with Madam Zefertiah's Curse-Free Guarantee, so he was sure it wouldn't hurt her. He stopped in front of the palace for a moment to gather himself - he was going to make it up these stairs without tripping - and pop a few breath mints in his mouth. "'Ere goes," he said to encourage himself. "Ain't got nothin teh lose, after all. With that, he walked into the palace.
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Post by Flutter (Frosty) on Dec 9, 2016 18:33:42 GMT -5
((AUGH FUCK CHANGING COLORS SERIOUSLY xD I hate that that was ever a thing. Now that we're actual, you know, authors, I think we can manage well enough to tell who's who. xD Still bolding my speech, though.))
Ance grinned at the term 'demon spawn'- she heard the echo down the hall. Seriously, if she only knew what Xena would eventually grow into. For now, she looked like a pretty normal amalgamation of what Ance looked like as a filly and what she could only assume Kishou looked like as a colt- though she would have been far into adulthood when Kishou was young, she wasn't actually there for it. She wondered how he was, realizing for the first time in a year that it was the first she'd thought of someone that wasn't Sustan. Her heart still ached from the loss, but she couldn't let that ruin the now. "Yeah, I can take her. The way I heard it, there might actually be older siblings visiting so I can get you married off," she said jovially. And also only half joking. Families were meant to grow, not shrink. Ange looked over at her oldest friend, sensing the change in her.
"You can relax, Ance. it's a party, after all." And Ange had ensured that there would be wine for the adults after the foals all passed out from partying too hard. All she'd had to do was bat her little golden eyelashes at Chupe (with the promise that it could piss off Toraniko in the morning) and seventeen crates of 1780 Port (whatever that meant) appeared in the kitchen. It was also how she'd ensured parents wouldn't ditch their foals in the castle for the day.
"Mama, Lilly says there's cake and it's bigger than Pechavi and Xo put together!" She looked around, disheartened when she saw no cake. She'd spent the better part of five minutes, now, fantasizing about vanilla marble and all sorts of yummy delights. But knowing her mama's friend, it was probably a big heaping carrot cake with nothing sweet on it at all. Ange was a real grump when it came to foods that actually tasted good. She was all about wheat bran and.... "LILLY YOU DON'T THINK SHE'S GOING TO MAKE OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES, DO YOU?" Xena swung around, her pelt becoming darker as the very real feeling of terror rose through her tiny body. Servants scurried out of the room, ostensibly to open the gates.
Pechavi danced about the room, totally oblivious to her parents being out of touch- how little she knew that all parents struggled with preteens?- excited for the festivities to come. Yes, there would be boys, but she didn't think much on it. Half of them were likely from the same group that were here last year, and why would it be so different? As for right now, she just liked the magical affect her hooves had on the marble floor. Even though everyone's did it, it seemed Chupe had gone out of its way to ensure hers did it the most. This pleased her endlessly and she giggled with girlish delight.
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Mini
Love God
The Itherian Herds. Coming soon to take over you.
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Post by Mini on Dec 9, 2016 18:46:16 GMT -5
Lilly thought oatmeal raisin cookies sounded delightful. "I hope they do....I'm sure there will be cake," Lilly didn't think a Xena-style meltdown over cake would be much appreciated by the princess. "Real cake, with lots of sugar and frosting. Pounds of frosting." The thought of the sugar-laden cake made Lilly want to puke as she preferred to eat a low-sugar, vegetarian diet. She didn't mind indulging in sugar now and again, but this made her feel as all of her teeth would simultaneously fall out of her jaw from rot. "All yours, Ance. She reprieved herself from her duty and found Pechavi admiring the decorations. "This is a beautiful room. Happy birthday, Princess."
((You can either reply to this or I'll add more later...I just kind of ran out of steam T_T and the kids won't leave me the fuck alone))
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Post by Flutter (Frosty) on Dec 9, 2016 19:02:31 GMT -5
Pechavi blushed at Lilly's compliment. "Thanks, Aunt Lilly. I think Daddy said Chupe did it." She giggled after saying it. "I think it's the first time Chupe has done something that didn't lead to Daddy swearing like a sailor." She grinned, but it pretty quickly went away. "Speaking of that lot... how has Ance been? I know she's getting better. But it really looks like she's still going to break down. I know she hasn't been drinking, but if Grandpa shows up, that... will probably change and things will get awkward." They were professional party crashers. She knew this from a young age- it had actually been shortly before another birthday that they'd temporarily made themselves official, after all. And then, as Aunt Mem had put it, 'shit got weird.' The Sustan thing, and then the Fall thing, and then the Sustan thing again. "I just hope Sorrov doesn't wear her down finally because that would officially make your family more inbred than the prior Prince's." She giggled a little. Aunt Lilly was one of the few people that actually spoke to her like an adult- or at least a pre-teen. It was then that she grinned conspiratorially. "Bet you a Slider Grandpa does show up, just because Daddy didn't invite him."
Ance let out a big sigh, though it wasn't a depressed one. It was one of a mother who had, narrowly, avoided a complete and utter meltdown by Xenavane. Hers and Nyct's relief was palpable.
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Mini
Love God
The Itherian Herds. Coming soon to take over you.
Posts: 1,780
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Post by Mini on Dec 10, 2016 0:53:33 GMT -5
((idk I like the color changes, as long as I can read the font against the background!)) Though he had entered the Palace, Kishou did not know where the party was being held. He wandered aimlessly for a while, turning down hallway after hallway and coming up empty, only finding a servant or two hurriedly performing their duties - the palace was to be spotless for the event, as one would expect for a princess' birthday. His stomach growled and he turned in search of food, heading towards the banquet hall adjacent to the kitchens. The palace cooks whipped up the best dishes featuring the desert exotic fruits, and even managed to make Bagguss seem palpatable. He was still on a high from his earlier trip to Dirty Joe's and didn't notice the servants worriedly whispering amongst themselves. If he had heard them, he would have known they were going to tip off his grandson that he was there.
Lilly stiffened at the mention of "Grandpa." Pechavi was probably the only one in the family that adored him, and she wondered how long he could buy her favor before she realized all he ever did was leave. Visits were far and in between, and she hated to think Pechavi might hope for Kishou to show up and have him disappoint her. Then again, he'd taken to Chavi more than any of his children. Even if he did show up, he'd be sure to be drunk, she thought bitterly. "I'm not sure he even knows about the party," she said kindly. "Ance has been...okay, I guess. You know how she is. You could run her over with a steamroller and she wouldn't break. She's sad, though. But I think deep down, she always knew it would come to this...when an immortal falls in love with a mortal, the day comes they can no longer be together. It just...comes too soon, I think." Lilly fiddled with the cutlery on the table. It seemed like a heavy conversation to be having with a twelve year old, but Chavi had always been mature. Lilly thought she would make a fine princess one day. If anyone in her family had gotten parenting right, Xo and Ange seemed to have nailed it. "I heard that the Queen invited colts this year. Has any of them caught your eye?" she wondered, half-teased. She'd never had a boyfriend herself, having been on one date in her life that started and ended in a coffee shop. She was 18 - ancient in her eyes for never having a boyfriend and was a bit embarrassed by it. But life...Xena, in particular, kept her busy and away from meeting any suitable boys.
"You're sure you saw him," Xo panicked. Kishou had been sighted in the building. Kishou was here. Kishou was going to ruin his daughter's birthday, again. He wasn't finished with his work, but this was more important. "Alert the Red Guard," he said, referring to the palace special forces. "They are to keep a close eye on him and escort him out of the palace grounds and Hathor itself if needed. Notify the Queen at once."
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Post by Flutter (Frosty) on Dec 10, 2016 14:09:27 GMT -5
((yeah I'm starting to miss the colors I feel like I have betrayed my childhood XD))
Pechavi felt her aunt tense. Nyct had told her that all that was a very sore subject for the young mare- and that she, too, would be feeling Kishou's inability to stay. Chavi knew Xena already did, but since the little demon filly already had other things on her mind (like explosives,) she had other things to deal with.
Nyct told her lots of things she probably wasn't supposed to know. But she supposed that was the advantage to having her mother's dark side as another aunt. She steered away from the darker edges of the conversation, knowing that you could only prod an open wound like that so many times before the conversation became unacceptable. She did like getting information, though. Aunt Nyct said there was power in information, which was why her mother relied so heavily on her- that, and if the two mares were separated for too long, their baser natures came out. She remembered when Aunt Nyct went 'out' for a few weeks and her mom became almost disgustingly peppy- even to a princess- and when Nyct returned, the mare looked feral and vile. She didn't want to think about that. "My dad would kill me and the colt if he thought we had a thing. But no, not right now. Some lesser lordlings have been pushing their colts at me- it's gross. Nyct says it's prostitution." She whispered that last part for fear of literally anyone else hearing her say that last bit. She giggled. "She's not wrong!" Her eyes wandered across the room, seeing a much harried servant approach her queen mother. She squinted, though she knew she wouldn't be able to hear what was going on. She saw the servant mouth 'Red Guard.' "What have we, here? My party might become significantly more interesting, Aunt Lilly."
The queen's pretty face dropped and her eyes became very wide, but she quickly collected herself. "But he's not stumbling drunk? Just a little tipsy?" Granted, a 'little tipsy' for her grandfather-in-law meant he'd probably consumed at least a quart of vodka, but for an immortal that was nothing. "You keep all eyes on him until my husband says so, understood?" Though she, like her daughter, thought things were about to get a whole lot more interesting, it wasn't the good kind. Things couldn't possibly get worse.
((WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT, ANGE, WHY
WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA))
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Mini
Love God
The Itherian Herds. Coming soon to take over you.
Posts: 1,780
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Post by Mini on Dec 28, 2016 22:46:19 GMT -5
Lilly tensed. "What do you mean?". Chavi's version of interesting and hers weren't quite the same. Though Chavi wasn't a destructive little demon (half demon) like Xena, she definitely took an interest in things Lilly wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole. Then again, Chavi had been sheltered her whole life and didn't quite understand these "interesting" things could lead to drunkenness at best, maiming and death at the worst. And of course, the worst thing of all: Kishou. A long time ago she'd tried to think of what she might say to him if she ever did see him again, and had more or less just decided to pretend he didn't exist or that she didn't know who he was. However, her lavender face turned white as she saw the ominous black stallion looming in the entryway. Why had she assumed he wouldn't show up? It was careless on her part to not prepare for her father's return. If she had been human, she might have puked. "I think I might colic, she uttered under her breath.
Xo tore into the Banquet hall with his robes half-falling off and his crown in his hoof (it kept falling off while he ran from his office), and immediately saw his servants had been correct. Kishou was standing in the middle of the hall looking around and seeming a little lost. He swallowed his annoyance and immediately approached his grandfather. "Kishou, I see you've made it to Pechavi's birthday. Welcome," Xo said, but leaned in close so that only Kishou could hear him. "You start anything and I'll have the Red Guard throw you in the dungeons for a year. You'd hate it, there's no alcohol. Are you drunk already?". Xo motioned for Ange to join them and wondered if he could count on Nyct to help them, though trusting Nyct was just about as safe as trusting Chupe. The only advantage he had over Nyct was Ange, and even that wasn't always reliable. He looked around at the now-elegantly decorated tables, the glitter floating in the air (he wondered how Chupe managed that), and the giant, 12-tiered white-and-silver birthday cake accented with perfect pink roses. The guests would be arriving any minute, and his alcoholic grandfather had just made this already big project a big chore. "Ange, what do you think?" he wondered.
Kishou flicked his ears back a little as Xo greeted him coldly, but he supposed he did deserve it. "Ahoy, grandson. Nah, I ain't drunk...mebbe three 'ours ago, but damn near sober now. Er, I mean, sober, he said as Xo pinned his ears. His heart thumped hard and he wished he was still drunk. That would at least make this feel less awkward. "Well, ain't this a grand room. 'Ow old's that little filly got to now? Can't 'ardly believe it, it seems like just yesterday th' little tyke was born! He grinned awkwardly, hoping maybe small talk would help ease the tension. Maybe coming hadn't been such a good idea. Xo wasn't happy to see him and he assumed Ange felt the same. All of the guards dressed in red seemed to be counting his every blink. The presents he was carrying suddenly felt like lead. "I got gifts fer th' birthday girl, 'n some fer me own girls...mebbe yeh could tell me where teh put them, Ange?" He hadn't felt so nervous since he was a colt setting off on his first adventure.
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Post by Flutter (Frosty) on Dec 28, 2016 23:13:45 GMT -5
The princess's eyes, normally bright, narrowed. She'd heard enough about her grandfather lately from her aunt Xena, and the tiny pyromancer knew more than she let the adults know. Her Aunt Lilly's reaction was also rather telling, and her face temporarily turned into a frown. "That sort of interesting. Makes a rather imposing shadow." But from what Xena had said during her last visit, the stallion often smelled like he drank a liquor store. Actually, the filly had described it as the time she accidentally fermented some grain- her mentor had chided her for the mishap and Xena was rather put out about it.
"This is what my mother gets for thinking the party would go off without a hitch. She told me as much, last night." Chavi chuckled, good-naturedly. "Nyct has a few good tricks up her sleeve- like how to deal with a diplomat you don't want to talk to much. Make a bit of small talk, and then say something to make them really, really uncomfortable. She'd probably be impressed to see you do it, at least," the princess offered.
Ance listened in on the girls, and she, too, was set ill at ease. The last time she'd seen Kishou... when WAS the last time she'd seen him? Was it the funeral? Was it after that? She knew she'd have to actually talk to him, not dodge him like a petulant child avoiding a stern talking-to. Not that she was at fault for anything- at least not at the moment. But she'd have to talk to him eventually, and not use any of Nyct's rather undiplomatic diplomatic tricks. She wondered how Ange dealt with people like this and still wore a smile. Amulatt, one of the strays she'd taken in over the past year, also had the remarkable skill of maneuvering through uncomfortable conversation. Even if she did talk like she hadn't opened a book in two centuries.
Her heart raced as her youngest child would force the issue by running towards her father. "Shit."
Ange felt a migraine coming on, and rolled her shoulders as though she were getting ready to do battle. "You can stay. But I swear, if you take more than your fair share of the wine today..." her ears pinned as Nyct barked with laughter.
"Ange! The wine should be the least of your concerns. Your best friend is just now getting over the death of her... whatever he was to her at that point and you're concerned about WINE?" She nearly fell off the chaise lounge she had draped herself over, she was laughing so heartily. "Honestly, sister, you're dumber than you are pretty, and you are VERY pretty!" She righted herself, still lounging like this particular chaise was hers and hers alone. "How about this, Kishou. You act like a perfect gentleman for the whole party, I'll pay your tab at whatever hole you've been watering yourself at." She figured that would have to do- the tab had to be huge at this point. She could smell the alcohol from over here. She gasped in shock when the tiny pyroclastic terrorist zipped through the ballroom at an uncomfortably fast pace, having upset several of the Enchantimals into wearing tiny frowns.
"DADDY DADDY YOU'RE HERE I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE!" The exuberant filly bounced around her father like a puppy would a young master. "ISN'T IT PRETTY IT'S SO PRETTY CHAVI'S GONNA LOVE IT!" She continued on like this for several minutes, not pausing to take a breath. Chupe, having followed the filly, wondered if she hadn't gotten into the coffee beans it had packed for her mother.
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Mini
Love God
The Itherian Herds. Coming soon to take over you.
Posts: 1,780
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Post by Mini on Dec 30, 2016 18:46:50 GMT -5
Kishou scooped Xena up into his arms. "Well hello sweetheart," he said, though the irony of the words tasted bitter on his tongue. She'd grown considerably since he'd been away and the guilt he usually numbed with liquor pierced his heart. At least she was still happy to see him. Not even Chavi had come to say hello, and she loved her grandpa. "Sure is purty in 'ere, me 'ats off teh th' decorator. Ah, looky 'ere, daddy's got a present fer 'is little girl." His heart pounded in his chest loudly as he put Xena down and handed her the gift. He prayed she liked it. Sweat began to bead at his brow as he felt everyone staring at him.
"Shut yer pie 'ole, Nyct," Kishou snapped. He'd actually already paid his tab, and she was the last creature he wanted to owe a favor. Chupe would prank the overloving shit out of him, but Nyct's reputation was well-earned. "I won't be stayin', anyhow. Just 'ere fer th' party."
"Big surprise there," Lilly drawled as she approached her father and the others. "You never do." Her heart felt if it was in her stomach and she glared at him. He hadn't seen her since she'd painted herself faerie and the look of horror and hint of disgust on his face when he realized who she was filled her veins with warm, rebellious adrenaline. Take that, asshole! she thought as her rage built until her head ached and the mask she was born with became hot, fueled by her raging emotions. Alarmed, she desperately sought to regain control of her magic before it exploded. She'd seen Kishou do that enough.
Xo was in a very bad mood at this point, and if they could pull the rest of the party off without something disastrous happening it would be a miracle. Well, more disastrous than Kishou showing up in the first place. He also thought Ange probably cursed the party by mentioning it would go off without a hitch. Kishou was a big hitch. As he worried, a page appeared. "Your Majesty, the guests have arrived. Is everything in place, m'lord?". Xo laughed sardonically and nooded. Ready as they'd ever be, he supposed. Things couldn't get worse, could they? Soon the guests began filing into the Banquet Hall and depositing their presents on the table Chupe had prepared and clamoring over the exquisite decorations and fancy cake. "Happy Birthday, Princess Pechavi of Hathor!" he announced after everyone had arrived. "Let us celebrate!"
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Post by Flutter (Frosty) on Dec 30, 2016 19:13:22 GMT -5
"I'm so very hurt," Nyct said with a false pout. "My offer was, of course, genuine. But if you wish to be that way, fine." Something, however, set her nerves alight. It was likely Lilly's magic, which felt a bit like a powder keg ready to explode. She didn't say anything, however, as Ance had more than once said she felt terrible about how Kishou had gone after an old flame without saying much other than 'farewell.' Well, it was much more colorfully put, and there was something about Lilly making her first- and so far only- kill, and Liin needing to be tutored by someone other than herself because of it. She hadn't really been paying attention, honestly. But she knew this pent up rage had something to do with the teenager's bubbling magic.
"Xena, darling... why don't you go play with that in the courtyard. Your targets are still up from earlier, and most of them could probably take a few cannonade hits." She watched as the filly gleefully ran off, clutching the miniature cannon with her wings.
Ange felt a shiver, and knew it was Nyct letting her know that her aunt-in-law was not, in fact, enjoying the party. But she couldn't think of that now- either Nyct would help her suppress it with her own magic or she'd encourage her to let it out. As for right now, they had a celebration to attend. After Xo had announced the party had begun, Ange made her way through the crowd, addressing people individually and thanking them for coming, it was lovely to see them again. While for most it would be automatic, Ange really did appreciate each and every one of the guests and even knew most of their names. She made her way to another hippocamp she hadn't seen before- but she did look familiar, so she greeted her with a wide grin.
Ance watched as her friend moved through the crowd, and ran several different scenarios through her head. It was automatic at this point, thanks to that stupid nightmare sword Simitra carried around. She briefly thought about dulling the visions with alcohol when one in particular caught her attention, but she lost the 'thread.' She knew it had to be important. It had a sense of urgency, but why?
"Hello! I'm glad you could come- but I can't seem to recall your name?" Ange flicked her wings in greeting, almost a bow.
The silvery grey mare grimaced at the sight of the too-friendly Queen of Hathor. She was certain the mare asked her name. Yes, yes she did. "Kala. Just Kala. I'm here for..." and the reason she came soon came into her field of vision. "Xo." She nearly whispered it, and still clung to the shadows of the palace- not that there were many of them today- and her gaze shifted nervously about. If she could only reach him...
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Mini
Love God
The Itherian Herds. Coming soon to take over you.
Posts: 1,780
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Post by Mini on Dec 30, 2016 19:35:52 GMT -5
Kishou didn't hear Nyct's retort, for he had tunnel vision on Lilly. Last time he'd seen her she'd had a black-as-coal coat, a beautiful golden yellow mane, and a certain sweetness and innocence to her. Now, even though her appearance was beautiful - her soft lavender pelt, curly silver locks that bounced off her neck, and large faerie wings that made him want to colic. How could she, after all they had gone through? The only thing the same about her were those blue eyes she'd gotten from him, but now they were hard and cold. He sensed something awful had happened and he'd missed it, just like he'd missed all the other awful things in her life. He wanted to address her but thought better of it as she struggled with her magic. He looked nervously into the crowd and saw Ange greeting a nervous, half-shadowed peophin. She was awfully twitchy, he thought. He excused himself from Nyct and went to investigate, arriving just in time to hear her name and what she wanted. Oh, that wretch, if anyone could wreck Chavi's party worse than he could it would be her. "An' what in th' blasted name o' Fyora deh ye need with me grandson, yeh cowardly cur?" he seethed as his own blood began to boil. True, Xo had a good life here, but she had sold her own son for her benefit. Kishou was a shitty parent, but he'd never given any of his children away. Their mothers just usually took them.
Xo meandered around like Ange, greeting the guests and thanking them for coming. He finally found Chavi. "Are you having a good time, sweetheart? Is this everything you hoped it would be? Are those colts behaving themselves? There's no horseplay going on now, is there? Oh, I'm sorry for the barrage of questions dear, I just want you to have a good time," he rambled. He was very unaware of the fact that his wife was talking to his mother, who was still wanted by the kingdom. On his own orders, actually. He'd tried but had never been able to forgive her for selling him out. She'd been a good mother as a colt, but when his father Crypt died, she changed and the mother he knew had been dead for years. He'd mourned for her already, and felt no parental connection or compassion for the shell that had once been a sweet, loving and fierce young mare.
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